My Mother's Kitchen

In her 50s, the author's mother, Judith Gethers, transformed her life, becoming a major figure in the burgeoning food world as a friend and mentor to culinary greats like Julia Child and Wolfgang Puck. Her son Peter's love letter to this amazing, long-lived woman casts a warm spell over listeners. Gethers isn't a professional narrator, but he is a storyteller, and listeners will quickly feel that no one else could have done justice to this tribute, which includes lots of fascinating family history. Gethers's regular-guy voice captures mirthful appreciation and painful truths; when he articulates his mother's halting, stroke-slowed voice, it's particularly moving. Poignant and funny, full of observations about life, marriage, and vocation, Gethers's memoir serves up recipes and writing with a pleasantly dry sense of humor. J.C.G. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine